Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners discussed several items at the Oct. 12 meeting, the first being the sinkhole currently located at the Coplay Creek. Board President Jeffrey Warren has brought up the issue at several meetings this year.

According to supporting documents, Warren found the creek was dry June 14 while visiting the Parkview Pool, Hokendauqua, though patrons said it had flowed the day before despite drought conditions. Warren, a professional geologist with more than 32 years of experience, suspected a sinkhole.

He later observed moderate flow in Whitehall Parkway and found a sinkhole consuming the creek on township-owned property near the Mickley-Prydun Farm.

According to documents, Warren noted that for three months, the creek swallowed the entire flow. However, flow resumed during and after significant rain events. Warren warned sinkholes rarely resolve on their own as water continues to feed them.

While there may be a flow downgrade for periods of time, Warren said it is only masking the problem and may continue to grow. Additionally, costs could rise if the sinkhole grows. The damage to the creek may also disrupt aquatic life and alter wetlands.

The township engineer contacted local legislators about state funding for remediation. Warren is hopeful a source of funding can be identified, the scope of the project refined and the effort put out for public bid.

The township engineer said they reached out to state Sen. Nick Miller, D-14th, and his office for help regarding the sinkhole and is awaiting a response.

At the meeting, Warren reported some estimated costs from bids to temporarily fix the sinkhole ranged from $195,000 to $326,000.

“I think it’s something we need to address,” Warren said, asking to come up with an elevated plan for a more permanent fix to prevent the sinkhole from reoccurring. “I think this is an important project because that hole is getting bigger. It’s not getting smaller, it’s not going to go away, and it’s an important part of our ecosystem.”

Commissioner Ken Snyder addressed concerns about the high cost regarding the sinkhole but didn’t disagree with Warren that the issue needs to be addressed. Snyder said he believes the township should ask Lehigh County, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation or the state for assistance with addressing the sinkhole.

The township engineer said they would reach out to Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for alternatives to fix the sinkhole, should the township not want to go a more costly route.

Commissioner Lee Christman agreed with Warren’s statements, saying he would like to see the sinkhole taken care of before it gets bigger and worse.

Commissioners also discussed winter sidewalk maintenance, referencing last year’s winter season where the Lehigh Valley saw heavy snow conditions.

Warren said there were some businesses that did a great job clearing their parking lots, but there were issues with businesses that were, according to Warren, “not so good” at clearing sidewalks for pedestrians.

Warren asked Mayor Joseph Marx Jr. to request businesses be more proactive in clearing their sidewalks and educating the people and businesses about properly dealing with the hazardous conditions.

Christman argued the township was too lenient on some businesses.

“I don’t think we should keep asking them; they should be fined. Every homeowner has to clean their sidewalks. If someone has a business and they have someone there taking care of the parking lots, they should clean the sidewalks,” Christman said. “People should not have to walk on MacArthur Road; that’s how people die.”

Snyder asked the board to review the ordinance to see what the fine would be for businesses not clearing sidewalks from snow or icy conditions or clearing parking lots. Marx reported the fine could be up to $1,000, as of now.